In the news: £560M boost to transport schemes, Victims Commissioner calls for new law for crash victims, motorists and motorcyclists to ‘share nicely’ this summer and more….
Well hello and welcome back to News Round-up! We’ve selected only the best cuts of news from the past week for your delectation and hope that you find them to your taste. Once again the past seven days haven’t disappointed so without further ado let us begin..
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Last week saw the announcement by the DfT that £155 million has been agreed by the government to be doled out to local sustainable transport schemes in 37 local authorities, with the two main aims of these schemes being to promote economic growth and reduce carbon emissions.
The funding is only the first allocation of monies from the Local Sustainable Transport Fund pot as Transport Minister Norman Baker explained: “We have empowered local authorities to create packages of sustainable initiatives that are tailored for their local areas, and this is only the beginning – even more funding will be announced next summer following a second round of bids.”
The successful bids so far include:
• South Yorkshire: Plans for a new cycle infrastructure planned, a ‘wheels to work’ scheme to help those in the most isolated areas get to work by bike, scooter or electric scooter, and a ‘Jobconnector’ bus service to provide access to a new employment site.
• Oxford: Plans for a park and ride scheme and the introduction of a single integrated smart card for car parking, buses and cycle hire supporting economic growth and development in the town centre.
• Lowestoft: Plans for a new swing bridge for pedestrians and cyclists to bring additional footfall to local shops.
• Stratford upon Avon: Plans for better transport links via rail, park and ride bus service enhancement and a walking and cycling facility to residential and employment areas.
• Hampshire: Plans for electric vehicle charging posts, improved bus services, car sharing schemes and a smart phone app for improved information circulation.
• Plymouth, Plan to introduce ITSO smart ticketing to support economic growth, reduce carbon and enhance mobility throughout the South West of England.
The total purse for the The Local Sustainable Transport Fund is worth £560m over the next four years and Ministers will be helped by an independent panel, which include representatives from the British Chamber of Commerce and the Campaign for Better Transport to choose the successful schemes.
Do you live in any of these areas? What are your thoughts on these schemes? Do you agree that these schemes will improve the transport issues currently facing your region or do you think the money would be better spent elsewhere? We would like to hear from you.
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The past week saw Victims Commissioner Louise Casey publish a report that recommends a change in the law to recognise the needs of victims of homicide and culpable road death, with approximately 500 families a year affected, and highlights that “for those bereaved as a result of such deaths, the impact and effects are similar [to those bereaved by homicide], with specific issues related to the criminal justice system and the paucity of services available to families.”
The report calls for a similar victims support service offered to those families facing bereavement through homicide.
Brake campaigns director Julie Townsend said: “We fully support the call for a law recognising the needs of victims, and to ensure they are treated with the respect and dignity they deserve in their contact with the criminal justice system”
Deaths caused by drivers asleep at the wheel, also a case of family bereavement was also high Brake’s agenda this week as they published the findings of a survey of 1,000 drivers, conducted in conjunction with the people at Cambridge Weight Plan, which revealed that 1 in 8 drivers have at one time or another head-nodded; that is nodded off for anywhere between 2 and 30 seconds at the wheel.
The astounding and quite frightening findings also state that as high a proportion as 1 in 7 drivers surveyed suffer from sleep apnoea, which causes daytime tiredness and greatly increases the risk of falling asleep whilst making tedious journeys such as long motorway trips.
Brake warn that nodding off at the wheel for only a few seconds can be fatal; six seconds at 70mph on the motorway will take you a distance of nearly 200 metres!
Professor Tony Leeds, Medical Director, Cambridge Weight Plan, said: “Sleep apnoea is linked to body mass index, so overweight drivers should be particularly alert to the possibility of suffering from this disorder, but aware that it is treatable.”
The research has been conducted to present at a Parliamentary reception to renew efforts to pressure the Government to act on the issues of tiredness at the wheel and the ignorance surrounding the treatable condition of sleep apnoea.
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Staying with safety on the roads IAM’s head of training, Simon Elstow, offered his tips on staving off common injuries when involved in a road collision from behind, such as whiplash or possible neck and spinal injuries, by checking your headrest before setting off on a journey. He states: “Not all head restraints are adjustable, but where they are, make sure they are placed high and close enough to stop your head going backwards if you crash.”
1). Before each journey, check the top of your head restraint and encourage your passengers to do the same, to ensure it is as high as the top of the head, and as close to the back of the head as possible.
2). Take account of the restricted view that headrests can produce when reversing, and make sure you can see properly, using your mirrors. If in doubt, get someone to guide you from outside the car.
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Also on offer from IAM this week are top tips, via Peter Rodger, Britain’s top advanced driver, on how motorcyclists and drivers can share the road safely this summer:
Peter says: “Motorcycling is a fun and convenient way of travelling, so it is important riders appreciate how to protect themselves, and car drivers learn to take a bit more care when looking out for them.”
Top tips for drivers:
- Keep an eye out for motorcyclists.;the biggest cause of accidents is failing to look properly;
- Give them space and don’t follow too closely, or drive on their nearside – motorcyclists have to avoid potholes and other surface problems, which aren’t an issue to a car driver;
- Use your mirrors, in particular before changing direction, so you see bikes approaching from behind;
- If a motorcyclist is trying to get past in heavy traffic don’t try to impede them because you are stuck;
- Give clear and early signals to allow motorcyclists and other road users time to react;
- In bad weather allow motorcyclists even more space to deal with bad surface conditions.
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Top tips for motorcyclists
- Always assume that other road users may not have seen you;
- When travelling in a straight line position yourself where a car driver would be sitting as this is where other road users will be looking;
- Give drivers time to realise you are there – don’t arrive so fast you startle the driver;
- Always leave plenty of space between yourself and other traffic;
- Look well ahead to avoid needing to make sudden changes in direction for potholes etc;
- Be seen. Always make sure you have your headlight on and wear big blocks of bright colour; broken up or patterned clothing effectively camouflages you.
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Moving to the Technology front now, Jaama have launched a fuel benefit and mileage reimbursement calculator facility within its third generation Electronic Driver Services (EDS)system, which they say will show the true cost of expensive ‘free fuel’ perks.
Benefit in kind tax paid for fuel used privately, but paid for by employers has been subject to tightening thresholds and an increase in its bill, meaning it is not always in the best interest of the driver. The new module will allow drivers to calculate whether they would be financially better off opting out of the so-called ‘free’ fuel benefit.
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New business has been won by CLM with its appointment by North West based property development company, Peel Group, to manage its 127 strong car fleet and deliver savings in operating costs, company and employee tax bills and a reduction in its carbon emissions.
CLM managing director, Tony Hulatt, commented: “We are delighted to have been selected by Peel Group to provide a fully outsourced fleet management solution and to assist in their targeting of a reduction in the corporate carbon footprint.”
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And finally… Kes has come home to roost on the M25. Junction 29 near Upminster, part of the site of the widening of the M25 in Essex has become home to a family of Kestrels. The protected birds were spotted by staff and a nesting box was quickly constructed and installed. The parent birds were happy to move in and now have a six strong brood.
Sij Danju, senior project manager for the Highways Agency said: “ The nesting kestrels are an unexpected highlight to the motorway widening scheme, which is being carried out to the highest environmental standards.”
The nesting family are being closely monitored on webcam, but have no plans currently to appear on twitter.
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And that’s the News Round-up for this week. We hope as always you found it informative and a little bit thought provoking, bad jokes aside. We look forward to another exciting 7 days in the world of fleet and rest assured we will be back next week to round-up the best bits just for you. Until then…
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